Sophomore linebacker Brian Cushing is no longer just a freakishly good athlete, he's the Elephant Man.

Standing 6-foot-4, 240-pounds, Cushing plays the Elephant position in USC's new hybrid 4-3 scheme. It's a position Pete Carroll used with the 49ers in the mid-'90s, combining the speed of a linebacker with the aggressive pass rush ability of a defensive end.

However, midway through the 2006 season, the Trojans pass rush has been anything but consistent. Having played linebacker most of his high school career, Cushing is an elephant playing against mammoths in the trenches.